14.2

EXCEPTIONS

When there is a situation of joint custody,
the caseworker must look at each situation on a case by case basis.If the child lives with both parents, then
deprivation must exist based on incapacity or unemployed parent policy unless
the child lives with each parent for extended periods.In that case, the child may meet the
deprivation by absence criteria and would be eligible to be included in the
home of the parent with whom he/she resides at the time of application.When the child goes to live with the other
parent, eligibility ceases to exist with the first parent.

Eligibility can continue for Families First during temporary absences from the home
for either the child or the relative.A temporary absence of the child or relative is of short duration with
specific intentions of returning on or about a specific date.In addition, the relative must continue to
provide care and control of the child even though either the child or the
relative is temporarily absent from the customary family setting.Any absence of either the child or relative
which will extend beyond three months must be studied carefully to determine
if the relative actually retains care and control of the child for a major
portion of each month.

Some examples of when Families First benefits can be granted or
continued for a child who is temporarily out of the home are when the child:

·Is away on a
visit.

·Is in the
hospital temporarily for treatment.

·Attends
summer camp.

·Attends an
accredited or approved school away from home for the primary purpose of
academic education or vocational/technical training because the school
facilities to meet this child’s special needs are not available in his/her
own community or within commuting distance.

·Attends a
college, university or other vocational school on a scholarship or other
grant that is not available in his/her own community.

·Is
temporarily in a psychiatric facility and has not been placed there by a
court order.

·Is in a
maternity home.

A child with special needs includes one who is especially gifted in a
particular area such as an academically gifted or artistically gifted child
or one who has a physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability.A facility that is established primarily
for the purpose of providing child care or which is licensed for that purpose
does not qualify as an accredited or approved school regardless of what the
facility might be called.

Some examples of when Families First benefits can be granted or
continued for a relative who is temporarily out of the home are when the
relative:

·Is away on a
visit.

·Is providing
some care for a spouse or child who is hospitalized.

·Is attending
a specialized training facility not available in his/her home community such
as those through the Services for the Blind or Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation.

·Is in the
hospital for treatment of an acute illness or injury.

·Is in a
maternity home.

·Is in a
convalescent care facility for the purpose of obtaining special care that is
not available in the home.

·Is absent
for the purpose of setting up a home to which he/she will move the child.

·Is
temporarily in a psychiatric facility and has not been placed there by a
court order and will be absent for no more than six months.

A person who resides in a maternity
home may be eligible for Families First benefits.Eligibility is determined as though she was
currently living on her own or in a foster home.The period of time spent in a maternity
home is a temporary absence from her usual home and eligibility is
established based on the circumstances that exist there.If the home situation is being dissolved,
eligibility is determined based on the situation as it currently exists.Residents of a maternity home may apply
either in the county of their usual residence or in the county where the
maternity home is located.